Gas gun having spring loading bolt

ABSTRACT

A compressed gas gun includes an upper housing having a barrel, a projectile feed tube for supplying projectiles into the barrel, a loading bolt for feeding the projectile and having an angled port for supplying pressure gas to propel or to fire the projectile. A lower housing includes a valve stem guide to form a high pressure storage chamber and to selectively supply the pressure gas to propel the projectile, a valve stem is slidably received,in the valve stem guide. A hammer is movable to actuate the valve stem, a link pin is secured to the hammer, and a spring biasing member may bias the loading bolt to resiliently engage with the projectile and to prevent the projectile from being cut or sheared inadvertently.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a compressed gas gun, and more particularly to a compressed gas gun having a spring biased loading bolt for safely loading bullets or projectiles and for preventing the bullets or projectiles from being cut or sheared inadvertently.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Typical compressed gas guns comprise a projectile feed tube for supplying projectiles into a barrel one at a time, and the projectiles are preferably spherical in form and contain a marking fluid therein, a loading bolt is slidably disposed in the rear portion of the barrel for engaging with the one projectile that is supplied or fed into the barrel and for feeding or loading the projectile slightly forwardly toward a firing position.

For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,613,483 to Lukas et al. discloses one of the typical gas powered guns also comprising a loading bolt slidably disposed in a rear portion of a barrel for engaging with one projectile that is supplied or fed into the barrel, and then for feeding or loading the projectile forwardly toward a firing position to wait for being fired.

Occasionally, the projectiles may not be swiftly or smoothly fed or supplied into the barrel one at a time, and the one projectile that is supposed to be supplied or fed into the barrel will be located or jammed in an intermediate position between the projectile feed tube and the barrel, and the loading bolt will be forced to engage and to feed or to load the one projectile forwardly toward a firing position by such as pneumatic air forces or high pressure gases, or spring biasing forces, or the like, such that the projectile may have a good chance to be cut or sheared by the loading bolt.

However, the projectiles are normally spherical in form and contain a marking fluid therein, and the marking fluid may flow out of the projectiles and may flow into the barrel when the projectiles are cut or sheared. It will thus take a lot of time to clean the barrel of the compressed gas gun.

U.S. Patent Application No. US 2003/0024520 A1 to Dobbins discloses another typical gas powered gun also comprising a loading bolt slidably disposed in a barrel for engaging and for feeding or loading the projectile forwardly toward the firing position to wait for being fired. The loading bolt is solidly coupled to a hammer which is normally operated or forced by such as pneumatic air forces or high pressure gases, or spring biasing forces, or the like, and both the loading bolt and the hammer will be forcefully actuated to engage and to feed or load the projectile to the firing position, such that the projectile also may have a good chance to be cut or sheared by the loading bolt.

Once the projectile are cut or sheared or broken inadvertently by the loading bolt, the marking fluid contained within the projectile may also flow out of the projectile and may also flow into the barrel, and it will thus take a lot of time to clean the barrel of the compressed gas gun.

The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional compressed gas guns.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a compressed gas gun including a spring biased loading bolt for safely loading projectiles and for preventing the projectiles from being cut or sheared inadvertently.

In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a compressed gas gun comprising an upper housing including a barrel having a bore, and including a projectile feed tube attached to the barrel and opened into the bore of the barrel for supplying projectiles into the bore of the barrel one at a time, a loading bolt slidably engaged in the upper housing and movable to engage with the projectile that is supplied into the bore of the barrel for feeding the projectile forwardly toward a firing position, the loading bolt including an angled port communicating with the bore of the barrel for supplying pressure gas to propel or to fire the projectile, the loading bolt including a channel formed therein, a lower housing having a hand grip extended downwardly for being grasped and held by a user, and including a valve stem guide to form a high pressure storage chamber in front of the valve stem guide, and the valve stem guide including a gas passage for communicating with the bore of the barrel and for selectively communicating with the angled port of the loading bolt and for selectively supplying the pressure gas stored in the high pressure storage chamber to the bore of the barrel and to propel the projectile, a valve stem slidably received in the valve stem guide, and a valve member attached to the valve stem and movable relative to the valve stem guide for engaging with a valve seat of the valve stem guide and for closing and opening the gas passage of the valve stem guide, and for controlling the pressure gas to flow from the high pressure storage chamber of the lower housing to the gas passage of the valve stem guide, a hammer slidably disposed in the lower housing and located behind the valve stem guide and movable to engage with the valve stem for actuating the valve member to close and to open the gas passage of the valve stem guide, an actuating device for actuating the hammer to engage with the valve stem, a link pin secured to the hammer and moved in concert with the hammer and slidably engaged in the channel of the loading bolt, and a spring biasing member for providing a spring biasing force between the loading bolt and the link pin, and for biasing the loading bolt to resiliently engage with the projectile and for preventing the projectiles from being cut or sheared inadvertently.

The loading bolt includes a cavity communicating with the channel of the loading bolt and separated from the angled port of the loading bolt for receiving and for positioning the spring biasing member.

A follower is slidably engaged in the upper housing, the link pin is secured to the follower and moved in concert with the follower. The follower includes a projection for engaging with the spring biasing member and for positioning the spring biasing member to the follower.

The upper housing includes a longitudinal groove for slidably receive the link pin. The link pin includes an enlarged knob extended out of the upper housing for moving the link pin and the hammer relative to the barrel and the upper housing.

The lower housing includes an end cap attached to a rear portion thereof, and a guide member extended from the end cap for engaging with and for guiding the hammer to slide toward and away from the valve stem. The actuating device includes a spring member disposed between the end cap and the hammer for actuating the hammer to engage with the valve stem.

The lower housing includes an actuating arm pivotally attached to the lower housing and selectively engaged with the hammer for selectively anchoring and latching the hammer to the lower housing in a rearwardly waiting position.

The valve stem guide includes a compartment formed therein, and the valve stem includes a piston slidably engaged in the compartment of the valve stem guide for guiding the valve stem to move relative to the valve stem guide.

Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a careful reading of the detailed description provided hereinbelow, with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a partial cross sectional view of a compressed gas gun in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a partial perspective view of a loading bolt of the compressed gas gun, in which one half of the loading bolt has been cut off for showing the inner structure of the loading bolt of the compressed gas gun;

FIG. 3 is a partial cross sectional view similar to FIG. 1, illustrating the operation of the compressed gas gun;

FIG. 4 is a further partial cross sectional view similar to FIGS. 1 and 3, illustrating the operation of the loading bolt of the compressed gas gun;

FIGS. 5, 6 are still further partial cross sectional views similar to FIGS. 1 and 3, illustrating the other arrangement of the compressed gas gun; and

FIG. 7 is a still further partial cross sectional view similar to FIGS. 5 and 6, illustrating the operation of the loading bolt of the compressed gas gun as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to the drawings, and initially to FIGS. 1-3, a compressed gas gun 1 in accordance with the present invention comprises an upper housing 10, and a lower housing 30 having a hand grip 31 extended downwardly therefrom for being grasped or held by the users. The upper housing 10 includes a barrel 11 provided or extended forwardly therefrom, and a projectile feed tube 12 attached to the barrel 11 and opened into the barrel 11 for feeding or supplying projectiles 80 into a bore 13 of the barrel 11 one at a time.

A typical loading bolt 14 is slidably disposed or engaged in the upper housing 10 or in the bore 13 of the barrel 11, and movable to engage with the projectile 80 that is supplied or fed into the barrel 11 (FIG. 4) and for feeding or loading the projectile 80 forwardly toward a firing position (FIG. 3). The loading bolt 14 includes a typical angled port 15 formed therein and communicating with the bore 13 of the barrel 11 for supplying pneumatic air or high pressure gas to propel or to fire the projectile 80. The pneumatic air or high pressure gas source will be discussed hereinafter.

The lower housing 30 includes a valve stem guide 32 disposed or secured in a middle portion thereof for forming or defining a high pressure storage chamber 33 in front of the valve stem guide 32, and the valve stem guide 32 includes a gas passage 34 formed therein for communicating with the bore 13 of the barrel 11 and for selectively communicating with the angled port 15 of the loading bolt 14 (FIG. 3), and thus for selectively supplying the pneumatic air or high pressure gas stored in the high pressure storage chamber 33 to the bore 13 of the barrel 11 and to propel or to fire the projectile 80.

A typical gas bottle (not shown) or the like may be attached to the lower housing 30 with an adaptor 35 and/or a regulator 36 for feeding or supplying the pneumatic air or high pressure gas into the high pressure storage chamber 33 of the lower housing 30. A valve stem 37 is slidably received in the valve stem guide 32, and a valve member 38 attached to one end or front end of the valve stem 37 and movable relative to the valve stem guide 32, for engaging with a valve seat 39 of the valve stem guide 32, and for closing or opening the gas passage 34 of the valve stem guide 32, and thus for controlling the pneumatic air or high pressure gas to flow from the high pressure storage chamber 33 of the lower housing 30 to the gas passage 34 of the valve stem guide 32.

A typical hammer 40 is slidably disposed in the middle portion of the lower housing 30 and located behind the valve stem guide 32 and movable to engage with the valve stem 37, in order to control or to actuate the valve member 38 to close or to open the gas passage 34 of the valve stem guide 32. The lower housing 30 includes an end cap 41 attached to the rear portion thereof, and a guide member 42 extended from the end cap 41 for engaging with or for guiding the hammer 40 to smoothly slide toward and away from the valve stem 37. An actuating or spring member 43 may further be disposed between the end cap 41 and the hammer 40 for biasing or forcing the hammer 40 to engage with the valve stem 37.

An actuating arm 44 may further be provided and pivotally attached to the lower housing 30 and selectively engaged with the hammer 40 for selectively anchoring or latching or positioning the hammer 40 in a rearwardly waiting position (FIG. 1). A typical trigger 45 is pivotally attached to the lower housing 30 and preferably arranged within a trigger guard 46, for engaging with the actuating arm 44 or for directly engaging with the hammer 40 in order to selectively release the hammer 40 (FIGS. 3, 4) and for allowing the hammer 40 to be biased or forced to engage with the valve stem 37. The above-identified structure is typical and will not be described in further details.

Typically, in the conventional compressed gas guns, the hammer 40 is solidly secured to the loading bolt 14, and the loading bolt 14 will be solidly forced to engage with the projectile 80 such that the projectile 80 may have a good chance to be cut or sheared or broken by the loading bolt 14. The present invention is to provide a spring biasing means or device 50 for coupling between the hammer 40 and the loading bolt 14 and for preventing the hammer 40 from being directly moved or forced by the loading bolt 14 and for allowing the hammer 40 to be resiliently moved by the loading bolt 14.

As shown in FIG. 2, the loading bolt 14 includes a longitudinal channel 16 formed in an intermediate or middle portion of the loading bolt 14, and a cavity 17 also formed in the intermediate or middle portion of the loading bolt 14 and communicating with the channel 16 of the loading bolt 14, but the cavity 17 of the loading bolt 14 does not communicate with the angled port 15 of the loading bolt 14 or separated from the angled port 15 of the loading bolt 14. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3-4, the barrel 11 or the upper housing 10 includes a longitudinal groove 18 formed therein for selectively communicating with the channel 16 of the loading bolt 14.

The spring biasing means or device 50 includes a follower 51 slidably disposed or engaged in the upper housing 10 or in the bore 13 of the barrel 11, and a link pin 52 secured to the follower 51 and slidably disposed or engaged in the channel 16 of the loading bolt 14 and in the longitudinal groove 18 of the barrel 11 or of the upper housing 10. The link pin 52 includes a lower end solidly secured to the hammer 40 and moved in concert with the hammer 40, and preferably includes an enlarged knob 53 extended out of the barrel 11 or the upper housing 10 for moving the link pin 52 and thus the hammer 40 relative to the barrel 11 or of the upper housing 10.

The spring biasing means or device 50 further includes a spring biasing member 54 engaged between the loading bolt 14 and the follower 51 and/or the link pin 52 for biasing the link pin 52 and thus the hammer 40 rearwardly relative to the barrel 11 and the upper housing 10 and the loading bolt 14. The spring biasing member 54 may also be used to provide a spring biasing force between the loading bolt 14 and the follower 51 and/or the link pin 52. The spring biasing member 54 has a front end engaged in the cavity 17 of the loading bolt 14 and a rear end engaged with a projection 55 of the follower 51 for positioning the spring biasing member 54 to the follower 51 and for stably biasing the link pin 52 and thus the hammer 40 relative to the loading bolt 14.

In operation, as shown in FIG. 1, the hammer 40 and the loading bolt 14 may be moved rearwardly relative to the barrel 11 and the upper housing 10 manually with the knob 53 of the link pin 52, or with a typical pneumatic forcing manifold (not shown) or the like, until the hammer 40 is anchored or latched or positioned in the rearwardly waiting position of the barrel 11 with the actuating arm 44 or the trigger 45. The hammer 40 and thus the loading bolt 14 may then be moved forwardly relative to the barrel 11 and the upper housing 10 by the spring or actuating member 43 when the hammer 40 is released by either the actuating arm 44 or the trigger 45.

When the hammer 40 is released, the hammer 40 and thus the loading bolt 14 may be moved forwardly relative to the barrel 11 and the upper housing 10 by the actuating member 43, as shown in FIG. 4, and the loading bolt 14 will be forced to engage with the projectile 80 that is supplied or fed into the barrel 11 and for feeding or loading the projectile 80 forwardly toward the firing position as shown in FIG. 3. When the projectile 80 is fed forwardly by the loading bolt 14, the angled port 15 of the loading bolt 14 will be aligned with the gas passage 34 of the valve stem guide 32, for allowing the pneumatic air or high pressure gas to flow into the angled port 15 of the loading bolt 14 and to propel or to fire the projectile 80.

When the projectile 80 has not fully supplied or fed into the barrel 11 and when the loading bolt 14 is forced to engage with the projectile 80, the loading bolt 14 may be forced to resiliently move rearwardly relative to the link pin 52 and the hammer 40 due to the spring biasing member 54 for allowing the projectile 80 to be fully supplied or fed into the barrel 11, and thus to prevent the projectile 80 from being cut or sheared or broken inadvertently by the loading bolt 14.

It is preferable that, as shown in FIG. 1, the valve stem guide 32 includes a compartment 60 formed therein, and the valve stem 37 includes a piston 61 extended therefrom and slidably engaged in the compartment 60 of the valve stem guide 32, for smoothly guiding the valve stem 37 to move or to slide relative to the valve stem guide 32 and for allowing the valve stem 37 to be moved backwardly to the rear portion of the compartment 60 of the valve stem guide 32 with the piston 61 and by the pneumatic air or high pressure gas flowing from the high pressure storage chamber 33 to the bore 13 of the barrel 11, and waiting for the further actuation or operation.

Alternatively, as shown in FIGS. 5-7, the spring biasing member 54 may be formed by the other spring or resilient members, such as rubber or synthetic materials, leaf spring members, or the like, instead of the compression coil spring member 54 as shown in FIGS. 1-4, and the spring biasing member 54 may also be used to bias the link pin 52 and thus the hammer 40 rearwardly relative to the barrel 11 and the upper housing 10 and the loading bolt 14.

Accordingly, the compressed gas gun in accordance with the present invention includes a spring biased loading bolt for safely loading the projectiles and for preventing the projectiles from being cut or sheared or broken inadvertently.

Although this invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure has been made by way of example only and that numerous changes in the detailed construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed. 

1. A compressed gas gun comprising: an upper housing including a barrel having a bore, and including a projectile feed tube attached to said barrel and opened into said bore of said barrel for supplying projectiles into said bore of said barrel one at a time, a loading bolt slidably engaged in said upper housing and movable to engage with said projectile that is supplied into said bore of said barrel for feeding said projectile forwardly toward a firing position, said loading bolt including an angled port communicating with said bore of said barrel for supplying pressure gas to propel or to fire said projectile, said loading bolt including a channel formed therein, a lower housing having a hand grip extended downwardly for being grasped and held by a user, and including a valve stem guide to form a high pressure storage chamber in front of said valve stem guide, and said valve stem guide including a gas passage for communicating with said bore of said barrel and for selectively communicating with said angled port of said loading bolt and for selectively supplying the pressure gas stored in said high pressure storage chamber to said bore of said barrel and to propel said projectile, a valve stem slidably received in said valve stem guide, and a valve member attached to said valve stem and movable relative to said valve stem guide for engaging with a valve seat of said valve stem guide and for closing and opening said gas passage of said valve stem guide, and for controlling the pressure gas to flow from said high pressure storage chamber of said lower housing to said gas passage of said valve stem guide, a hammer slidably disposed in said lower housing and located behind said valve stem guide and movable to engage with said valve stem for actuating said valve member to close and to open said gas passage of said valve stem guide, an actuating means for actuating said hammer to engage with said valve stem, a link pin secured to said hammer and moved in concert with said hammer and slidably engaged in said channel of said loading bolt, and a spring biasing member for providing a spring biasing force between said loading bolt and said link pin, and for biasing said loading bolt to resiliently engage with said projectile.
 2. The compressed gas gun as claimed in claim 1, wherein said loading bolt includes a cavity communicating with said channel of said loading bolt and separated from said angled port of said loading bolt for receiving said spring biasing member.
 3. The compressed gas gun as claimed in claim 1, wherein a follower is slidably engaged in said upper housing, said link pin is secured to said follower and moved in concert with said follower.
 4. The compressed gas gun as claimed in claim 3, wherein said follower includes a projection for engaging with said spring biasing member and for positioning said spring biasing member to said follower.
 5. The compressed gas gun as claimed in claim 1, wherein said upper housing includes a longitudinal groove for slidably receive said link pin.
 6. The compressed gas gun as claimed in claim 1, wherein said link pin includes an enlarged knob extended out of said upper housing for moving said link pin and said hammer relative to said barrel and said upper housing.
 7. The compressed gas gun as claimed in claim 1, wherein said lower housing includes an end cap attached to a rear portion thereof, and a guide member extended from said end cap for engaging with and for guiding said hammer to slide toward and away from said valve stem.
 8. The compressed gas gun as claimed in claim 7, wherein said actuating means includes a spring member disposed between said end cap and said hammer for actuating said hammer to engage with said valve stem.
 9. The compressed gas gun as claimed in claim 1, wherein said lower housing includes an actuating arm pivotally attached to said lower housing and selectively engaged with said hammer for selectively anchoring and latching said hammer to said lower housing in a rearwardly waiting position.
 10. The compressed gas gun as claimed in claim 1, wherein said valve stem guide includes a compartment formed therein, and said valve stem includes a piston slidably engaged in said compartment of said valve stem guide for guiding said valve stem to move relative to said valve stem guide. 